Fibrous composition and process for making the same.



7 wood fibers, with ended vaFt under sustaine GEORGE A. HENDERSON, OF ST. ALBANS, WEST VIRGINIA.

FIBROUS COMPOSITION AND PROCESS FOR MAKING THE SAME.

No Drawing. Original application filed November 30,

filed July 30, 1917,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon A. HENDER- son, a citizen of the United States. residing at St. Albans, in the county of Kanawha, State of Vest Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fibrous Composition and Processes for Making the Same, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The primary object of the invention is the effective and uniform impregnation of woody particles, formed of a. plurality of a preservative material of a binding nature for producing a durable and efficient compound especially well adapted for paving and like purposes.

A further object of the invention is to insure permanent density of the product of the process by the removal of the cellular tissue, sap, and softer ortion of the wood by destructive distillatlon thereof, and by strong heat applied thereto during the impregnation of the remaining fibers with a preservative binder.

In carrying out my invention, I provide for the shredding of this waste material from hardwood into particles of uniform thickness, but of irregular length and breadths, and of various sizes rangin from particles just larger than impalpable ust up to three quarters of an inch in length, and of lesser breadth, and then grading the sizes of the woody particles so that the smaller particles will as nearly as may be, fill the voids between the larger ones; then agitating and conveying the same through hot bitumen in predetermined quantity only sufficient to coat, and to fill the pores of the particles, and the voids between the particles, and to bind them to ether in an open heat to expand the particles and to expel the moisture and sap, and to destroy the cellular tissue and other softer portion of the wood, thus rendering the particles susceptible to their maximum capacity to impregnation by absorption of the bitumen, simultaneously drawing the vapors out of the vat, removing the material from the vat, and then while cooling and contracting, compressing the mass into shape.

- In a modification of my invention the material may be allowed to cool, after being removed from the aforesaid vat, in which event the same shall be re-heated, and while Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1918.

1915, Serial No. 64,285. Divided and this application Serial No. 183,598.

or otherwise, before mixing the bitumen therewith.

I claim:

1. The process of treating fibrous vegetable material, forming comminuted fibrous particles of exactly uniform thickness but of irregular lengths and breadths, expanding the particles by conveying the same through an open ended vat containing hot binding and preservative agent to expand the pores of the fiber, and to convert the remainin moisture in the particles into steam an to impregnate the pores of the material with a binding preservative agent, the quantity of which shall be predetermined by measuring and mixing a portion of the ingredients together in such manner that there is present merely sufiicient preservative-binder to fill the pores of the vegetable material, to coat the articles thereof, to fill the voids between t e particles and to bind them to each other, drawing the steam vapors out of the vat during said impregnation, and then compressing the material into shape.

2. In a process of treating fibrous vegetable material forming comminuted fibrous particles of hard wood of exactly uniform thickness, but of irregular lengths and breadths, grading the sizes of said particles from just larger than impalpable dust up to three quarters of an inch in length, and mixing percentages of each size of said particles so that the smaller ones will, as nearly as may be, fill the voids between the larger particles; then conveying the same through an open ended vat to heat the same, then depositing the same into a hot binding preservative agent within the vat, and agitating the same a sufiicient length of time to expel from the particles all remaining moisture, and to abnormal] enlarge and expand the pores of the partic es, to impregnate the same with a predetermined quantity of binding preservative agent, only sufiicient in quantiy to completely fill the pores within the fibrous particles, in their subsequently contracted compressed condition, to surround the particles, and fill the voids be tween the same, in the final product, and to bind the particles together; then while hot, removing the material from the vat, and while cooling compressing the same into shape.

3. In a process of treating fibrous vegetable material, forming comminuted fibrous 4 particles of uniform thickness, but of irregmoisture in the material into steam and to.

ular lengths and breadths, subjecting the same to a cooking operation, then extracting the moisture from the material while hot, then conveying the material through an open ended vat containing hot binding and preservative agent, to convert the remaining impregnate thepores of the material with the binding and preservative agent, drawing steam vapors out of the vat during said impregnatlon, and pressing the same into shape.

4. In a process of treating fibrous vegepores are expanding, then contracting the 'particles by cooling the mass; then compressing the same while contracting into shape.

5. A plastic composition of hard-wood particles of uniform thickness, and .of irregular lengths and breadths, from which sap, cellular tissue and moisture have been removed, impregnated with a preservativebinder and pressed into shape.

In testimony whereof -I have afiixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses, the twenty-seventh day of July, 1917.

GEORGE A. HENDERSON.

Witnesses:

R. H. MAGUIRE, Lemon HATFIELD. 

